Software:Tengai Makyō

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Tengai Makyō
Genre(s)Role-playing
Developer(s)Red Company
Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)Hudson Soft
Creator(s)Oji Hiroi

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value)., also known as Far East of Eden, is a series of role-playing video games released in Japan and Taiwan. The series was conceived by Oji Hiroi and developed by Red Company, debuting on the PC Engine CD-ROM² System in 1989.[1]

The series became popular in Japan, where it was one of the most popular RPG series during the 16-bit era,[2] along with Enix's Dragon Quest and Squaresoft's Final Fantasy. Its success was partly because the original Tengai Makyō was the first RPG released for the new CD-ROM format, which it utilized to create a bigger game and introduce fully voiced animated cut scenes and CD music to the genre. The series grew to encompass a number of remakes, gaidens and genre spin-offs across a variety of platforms. Despite selling over 2.2 million copies in Japan,[3] the series is largely unknown in other territories, with only one game released overseas.

Overview

The main series is composed of three separate games within the land of 'Jipang' (a fictional feudal Japan using the name given by Italian merchant Marco Polo), each follows a descendant of the 'Fire Clan' and supporting cast in battles against a range of often comical villains. The stories of the games, though primarily of 'fantasy' fare, are inspired by and a parody of misconceptions about Japanese culture by Western societies.

The first game Software:Tengai Makyō: Ziria (1989), released for the PC Engine CD-ROM² system, was notable as the first RPG released on CD-ROM and the first in the genre to feature animated cut scenes and voice acting. The plot and characters were inspired by the Japanese folk tale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari (with the protagonist's name deliberately misspelled, per the fantastic theme). The music for the game was also composed by the Academy Award winning musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.[1] The game was previewed in the November 1990 issue of Computer Gaming World. The writer Roe R. Adams (also a co-developer for the Wizardry games) described it as "a truly gigantic game" that "seems to be about the size of 2 or 3 Ultimas put together." He suggested that, if "NEC can handle the mammoth translating job, Ziria could be the game hit of 1991" unless, "of course, Nintendo counters with Zelda III or Dragon Warrior III, and Sega with Phantasy Star III."[4]

The sequel Tengai Makyō II: Manjimaru (1992) was reportedly the most expensive game ever made up until that time;[5] the game's lead programmer Hiromasa Iwasaki later revealed the development budget was about ¥500 million ($4 million at the time, or $9 million adjusted for inflation), making it possibly the first AAA game production on CD-ROM.[6] The music was composed by Joe Hisaishi, known for composing soundtracks to Studio Ghibli's anime films such as Castle in the Sky (1986), Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001).[1] There were plans to release Tengai Makyō II in North America, but due to the TurboGrafx-16's failure in that market, no Tengai Makyō games would be released there up until Software:Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash (1995).[1]

Creators

The games are largely the creation of Oji Hiroi and Red Company (today Red Entertainment). Virtually all publishing tasks have been handled by Hudson Soft.

The series is purported to be based on a book entitled "Far East of Eden" written by a Paul Hieronymus Chada (typically written as P.H. Chada), who is presented as a 19th-century Smithsonian professor of oriental studies. The book and P.H. Chada do not exist, and 'P.H. Chada' is actually derived from 'Prince (Oji) Hiroi'. This is part of how the setting is supposed based on the misconceptions Western societies held with regard to Japan in the past. The person "Hiroshi Adachi" credited as creating the series is also fictional, with the roles he is credited for actually being performed by Hiroi. "Adachi"/"Chada" also had a personal website which was actually run by Hiroi.[7]

Oji Hiroi and Red Company would later become known for creating the Sakura Wars series for the Sega Saturn.[1] Sakura Wars adopted various elements from the series, including a pre-modern Japanese setting and the use of animated cutscenes and voice acting.[8]

Games

Entries in the franchise have been released for several different console and mobile platforms, including remakes for newer systems, such as the PSP compilation Tengai Makyō Collection, which contains the main four PC Engine titles.

Year Title Genre Original Platform
1989 Software:Tengai Makyō: Ziria RPG PC Engine CD
1992 Software:Tengai Makyō II: Manji Maru RPG PC Engine CD
1993 Software:Tengai Makyō: Fuun Kabukiden RPG PC Engine CD
1994 Tengai Makyō: Deden no Den (promo) Maze PC Engine CD
1995 Tengai Makyō: Kabuki Ittou Ryoudan Fighting PC Engine CD
1995 Software:Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash Fighting NeoGeo
1995 Tengai Makyō: Dennou Karakuri Kakutouden Template:Abr fighting PC-FX
1995 Tengai Makyō Zero RPG Super Famicom
1997 Software:Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku RPG Sega Saturn
2003 Oriental Blue: Ao no Tengai RPG Game Boy Advance
2003 Tengai Makyō II: Manji Maru (remake) RPG GameCube, PlayStation 2
2004 Tengai Makyō Mobile RPG iPhone
2005 Tengai Makyō III: Namida RPG PlayStation 2
2006 Tengai Makyō Ziria Harukanaru Jipang RPG Xbox 360

Canceled games

  • Oriental Blue (Nintendo 64 DD)[9]
  • Tengai Makyō: Jipang Seven (browser-based game)[10]

Other media

A two-episode OVA titled Tengai Makyō Ziria Oboro-hen[lower-alpha 1] was made in 1990.[11]

Tengai Makyō was also included in the two volumes of the 1992 manga anthology Hudson Makyō[lower-alpha 2] by Minori Shobo, which featured stories about different Hudson franchises.[12]

Tengai Makyō II protagonist Manjimaru Sengoku appears as a playable character in the 2003 crossover fighting game DreamMix TV World Fighters.

Notes

  1. ↑ 天外魔境 自来也おぼろ変
  2. ↑ ハドソン魔境

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Kalata, Kurt. "Tengai Makyou: Ziria". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://hardcoregaming101.net/tengai/tengai.htm. Retrieved 7 September 2011. 
  2. ↑ "Tengai Makyo Cancelled for GameCube". 31 March 2004. https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/03/31/tengai-makyo-cancelled-for-gamecube?amp=1. 
  3. ↑ "あの「天外魔境」シリーズの最新作が，ついに！" (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net (Aetas). 2010-09-13. http://www.4gamer.net/games/120/G012010/20100911002/. Retrieved 2015-04-24. 
  4. ↑ Adams, Roe R. (November 1990), "Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is): An Overview of the Evolution of CRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines", Computer Gaming World (76): 83–84 [84], "In Japan, there are currently 26 CD-ROM based games already available for this machine, including Ys I & II (scheduled for Christmas release in the U.S. on one disk) and a truly gigantic game, Ziria, which seems to be about the size of 2 or 3 Ultimas put together. IF NEC can handle the mammoth translating job, Ziria could be the game hit of 1991 on the game machines (unless, of course, Nintendo counters with Zelda III or Dragon Warrior III, and Sega with Phantasy Star III)." 
  5. ↑ "Tengai Makyou II (Ziria: Far East of Eden 2)". TurboPlay (12 (April/May 1992)): 19. 1992. 
  6. ↑ Szczepaniak, John (November 2015). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Monochrome. SMG Szczepaniak. pp. 85, 97–8. ISBN 978-1518818745. "Flagship title for the updated PC-Engine CD-ROM, this was one of (if not the) most expensive game of its day; think of it as Hudson's analogue to Shenmue. (...) Tengai Makyou II was a really big project and perhaps also the first triple-A title on CD. (...) Because at that time, for Tengai Makyou II, we used almost (...) 500,000,000 yen (...) $4,000,000 (...) And perhaps the salaries of these people are not contained within this [original] 500 million figure. (...) So it's even more expensive!" 
  7. ↑ "あ氏の部屋". http://www006.upp.so-net.ne.jp/ashi/. 
  8. ↑ Hetfeld, Malindy (15 April 2020). "An introduction to Sakura Wars, the RPG series created to save the Sega Saturn". Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-04-15-an-introduction-to-sakura-wars-the-rpg-series-created-to-save-the-sega-saturn. 
  9. ↑ "Oriental Blue, Nintendo 64 unreleased game". https://www.nintendo64ever.com/Nintendo-64-Game-Oriental-Blue-Unreleased,670.html. 
  10. ↑ "Tengai Makyō: Jipang Seven cancellation notice". http://jipang7.gamecomplex.jp/. 
  11. ↑ "Tengai Makyō: Ziria Oboro-hen (OAV)". https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=15258. 
  12. ↑ "Hudson Makyou". http://randomhoohaas.flyingomelette.com/bomb/book/hudmakyo/. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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